The doc smiled. “Good news is, I don’t think anything is broken.” He pointed to one area on the film. “This might be a tiny stress fracture, but then again, it could be an old injury. In either case, I want you to stay off the foot for a solid week to allow the swelling to go down. Come back and see me a week from tomorrow. We’ll make a new plan then.”
“But I can still use the crutches, right?”
“No. You need to be horizontal. With the foot elevated.”
Zachary shot his brothers a visual plea for intervention. “Frannie starts work tomorrow. I should be there to help her if she needs it.” What he really wanted was to figure out things with Frannie...to follow up on their intriguing “almost” interlude at his house on the north coast.
Why had she turned down his dinner offer? Didn’t she feel the attraction that sizzled between them? Or perhaps she saw through his self-deception better than he did. Maybe Frannie didn’t want to be one of a crowd. The thought stung his pride and shamed him.
Frannie would expect everything from a man...from him. And she would give her all in return.
That was a kind of intimacy Zachary didn’t want or understand.
Farrell cocked his head, frowning. “From what I understand, Frances works alone. Besides, Quin and I will be around. She doesn’t need you looking over her shoulder. Do what the doctor says, little brother.”
* * *
Forty-eight hours later, Zachary was ready to climb the walls. He’d never been one for watching a lot of television. He had a few favorite action films on DVD, but seeing those only made him aware of his current limitations.
Ivy and Katie took turns bringing him carryout dinners. They were far more sympathetic than his own brothers. When Zachary asked about Frannie, all he got was blithe assurances that she was making great progress.
He had sent Frannie a text Sunday night to let her know the ankle wasn’t broken. Her reply had been short in the extreme. I’m glad.
And after that, nothing.
What did she do when she wasn’t sleeping? The late morning? All afternoon?
Curiosity consumed him. He wanted to know everything there was to know about Frances Wickersham. The depth of that wanting gave him pause. Why? Why was he so focused on her?
Quinten stopped by unexpectedly, breaking the monotony of Zachary’s day. “I brought a bottle of wine and filet mignon,” he said, holding up a bag that smelled amazing. “I figured you needed to keep up your strength. Unless you’re still taking pain meds. Damn, Zachary. I wasn’t thinking.”
“Only over-the-counter stuff. And right now, I’d settle for human contact. I think I hate this condo.”
Quinten put the food in the kitchen, poured two glasses of the wine and came back, laughing. “You outbid three other buyers because you were determined to have one of the premier views in the city. Now you don’t like it?”
“It has too many walls,” Zachary said. “I need to be outside.”
“It’s November. The weather is crappy. This too shall pass.”
“How are things at work?”
“Translation, how is Frances Wickersham?”
“That, too.”
Quinten sprawled in a recliner covered in charcoal-gray velvet. “As far as I know, she’s fine. Farrell spoke with her briefly this afternoon. Stanley has to be off tonight. Farrell wanted Frances to know she didn’t have to come to the office, but she said she was used to working alone. I gather she’s a very self-sufficient woman.”
Zachary shook his head, frowning. “That’s what she expects you to think. From where I’m sitting, Frannie is like a fluffy newborn duckling, all cute and clueless about how bad the world can be.”
“Wow.” Quin stared him down, finishing his wine. “Maybe that’s what you want to believe.”
“Farrell is the one with the Galahad complex, not me.”
“But you wouldn’t mind at all if the lovely Frances Wickersham thought you were her hero, right?”
Quinten wasn’t wrong. Zachary wanted to be Frannie’s hero, so he could feel like he had the upper hand for once. But he wasn’t going to admit such a thing to his little brother. “You’re full of crap.”
“And on that note, I’m out of here. My dear wife is waiting on me.”
“Rub it in, why don’t you?”
“That’s quite a pity party you’ve got going. As someone who very recently screwed up my life, almost beyond repair, I’d suggest you try patience. It’s a lost art among the Stone men, but it works wonders.”
* * *
Thursday evening around ten, Zachary finally reached his limit. After showering and shaving, he put on jeans and a soft cotton shirt with a pullover sweater. It was still a bitch to get pants on and off without hurting his damaged foot, but he was motivated.
When he was ready, he summoned a car service and told the driver where to drop him off, then sent a text to Stanley to let him know Zachary would be on the premises.
Stone River headquarters was shrouded in darkness when he arrived. Zachary let himself in and rode the elevator up and up until he saw lights shining in one office on the far side of the fifth floor. He walked quietly down the hall and paused in the open doorway.
Frannie had her back to him. Her fingers flew over the computer keys so fast it seemed impossible. Tonight, her hair was down. The rich fall of raven curls made his fingers tingle. He wanted to touch.
She wore one of her signature cashmere turtlenecks. This one was a creamy white, which made her hair all the more beautiful.
“Don’t be startled,” he said. “It’s only me.”
* * *
Frannie spun around so fast in her swivel office chair she nearly slid onto the floor. She put a hand to her chest. “Zachary Stone. You scared me to death. You can’t just say don’t be startled and expect a person not to be startled.” She glanced down at his foot. “What are you doing here? Quin told me you’re under strict doctor’s orders to be on your back with the foot elevated.”
“I have been,” he groused. “Four whole days. I needed a break. And besides, I wanted to see how you’re doing.”
She motioned at the desk scattered with files and papers. “This particular employee is kind of a mess. But she’s not a criminal.”
“Good to know. How is the investigation going?”
“So far, so good. I’ll be doing the first report when I finish tomorrow night.”
“In other words, don’t bother you.”
She smiled at him. “I didn’t say that.” But it was true she enjoyed her solitude. Could a fun-loving man like Zach understand that?
“I’ve missed you.”
She parsed his quiet statement for hidden meanings. He looked handsome and weary at the same time. His navy V-necked sweater over a navy-and-green plaid shirt emphasized his broad shoulders. Every time she was around him, she felt this odd energy. As if there was some connection between them generating electricity.
“It’s only been four days. You’re probably bored.”
His eyes flashed. “Yes. I’m bored. But I was talking about you, Frannie. I’ve missed you. I enjoyed our time this weekend.”
Oh boy. Did he mean the hike or the kisses or something else?
She’d had a long time to think about what had happened. Plenty of time. Did she want to be platonic buddies for the long haul with Zachary Stone? Or did she want something deeper, more exciting? An affair that might—when it was over—mean the death of their recently resurrected friendship?
It was a tantalizing question with no clear answer.
“I’ve missed you, too,” she said, trying not to let him see how very much she was affected by his mere presence in this tiny office cubicle.
After a long silence, he came two steps closer. “Can you show me what you do?” he asked.
She nodded. “You’ll have to sit
down.” She dragged a small wooden chair to the desk and placed it to her left.
Zachary had become more proficient and graceful with the crutches since they had been together. He eased into the chair, laid the crutches aside and nodded. “My ankle is getting better every day.”
“Let’s hope this unauthorized field trip doesn’t set you back.”
“You won’t rat me out, will you, Bug?”
He was so close his aftershave made her woozy. In a good way. A tiny, fresh nick on his sculpted jaw told her he had shaved very recently. For her?
“Not if you behave.” She chewed her lip and sat very still, trying not to touch him. The work space was limited. Focusing on what she did best, she pulled up a screen with several clicks. “This is where I usually hit the mother lode. I can see every website a user has visited. Often, if there’s anything suspicious, I follow a thread and can even get into an employee’s personal accounts if they’ve accessed them from work. Of course, sometimes that means getting a warrant.”
“Seriously?”
“It depends on a company’s rules. Here at SRO, your employee handbook says absolutely no personal use of the computer. It’s not a problem if an employee checks email on his or her phone during a break. But there should be nothing other than SRO-related activity on this desktop.”
He leaned closer. “And?”
“This one’s all clear. So far. But the guy in 207 has porn on his. Not only is that personal use, but anyone dumb enough to look at porn on a work computer is probably not someone you want working for you.”
“I agree,” he said, shaking his head.
“It will all be in my first week’s report.”
He touched her hand. Not holding it. Just to get her attention. “I am so impressed, Frannie. You are incredible.”
His praise made her uneasy. “Other people do what I do.”
“Maybe. But I doubt they do it as well. You always did enjoy solving puzzles.”
Her heart thudded in her chest. The answer to her dilemma stared her in the face. Zach was interested. Definitely interested.
But if she dithered much longer, she wouldn’t be able to enjoy Zachary’s company for the length of her stay.
She’d had four days to think about it. Nothing impulsive about this decision. But what if she made the wrong choice?
“Zach?”
“Hmm?”
They were so close she could feel his breath on her cheek when he spoke. She flipped her hand so she could link her fingers with his. “Would you like to come to my hotel room when I’m finished here?”
He froze. She actually witnessed the fact that every muscle in his body went still. But his eyes flashed with heat.
His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “Um...isn’t it kind of late?”
Her confidence faltered. Was she wrong? He had sought her out, not the other way around. Had she misread the situation? The man said he missed her. Wasn’t that code for let’s get naked?
She released his hand and rolled her chair a few inches to the right. “Never mind,” she muttered, mortified. She wasn’t comfortable initiating intimate relationships. Clearly this was why. She didn’t know the code.
“You should go home and get that foot elevated,” she said. “I’m not finished here, anyway. Probably another hour before I’m done...” She barely even knew what she was saying. Please, God, make him leave. She was so humiliated.
Zachary, who seemed to have been in a momentary coma, shot to his feet, stumbling as he reached for his crutches. Then he sat down again, abandoning the crutches at the last minute. He leaned forward and slid one hand under her hair, cupping her neck. “Frannie. You took me by surprise.” His beautiful chocolate eyes glowed with fire. “The answer is yes. I’d like that very much.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Are you sure you’re an international playboy? No offense, but you’re kind of bobbling this.”
His smile was rueful as he rubbed his thumb along the line of her jaw. “Well aware, Frannie. Well aware. You throw me off my game. I don’t know how to act around you. Part of me wants to be that teenage boy who spent hours every week with you, and another part wants to pursue this...attraction. You’re a fascinating, beautiful woman.”
Frannie had taken tons of science classes along the way during her education. But nothing could explain the way her body quivered and melted and yearned all at the same time. She wanted Zach. Desperately. Wanted to feel him skin to skin. Wanted to know what it was like to have him enter her, fill her, take her wildly.
Her heart pounded so hard she was breathless. “I’m as conflicted as you are, Zach. That doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun.”
He frowned. “Fun?”
“You don’t think we’ll have fun?”
His hot, determined gaze incinerated her. “If we do this right, fun will be way down the list.”
The bottom fell out of her stomach. “Maybe I should finish here while you go home and grab a toothbrush.”
He leaned forward and kissed her. Hard. Hungrily. “Screw the toothbrush. No way I’m walking out of this room without you.”
“But I—”
He kissed her again. This one longer, sweeter, more coaxing. “Don’t back out now, Frannie. Things are just getting interesting. Besides, it’s a quarter till midnight. Your work here is done.”
They exited the building together. The evening was windy and cold but dry. She tucked her chin in her coat and wished she had remembered to wear gloves. Zachary had summoned a car as they walked to the elevator and made their way downstairs. The driver was in the area and showed up less than five minutes later.
They got in. Zach gave the man directions. Frannie was prepared to huddle in her corner of the back seat, but her companion had other ideas. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her against his shoulder.
How was it possible to feel safe and warm and yet at the same time incredibly aroused? This was Zach. Gorgeous, complicated, macho Zach. Frannie was thirty years old. She had been in physical relationships before. But never had she felt such a turbulent mix of excitement and uncertainty.
Being alone was safe. Anytime she let people get close to her, she ended up hurt. She knew in her gut that Zach had the power to hurt her more than most. She wanted so badly to get close to him emotionally and let him see the real Frannie. But that meant tearing down her walls. Lowering her shields.
Was it worth the risk?
At the hotel, they were the only people in the lobby. The tiny gift shop was closed. Zach had a quiet conversation with the concierge. The man disappeared and returned with a small paper sack. Then Frannie was in the elevator with Zach, and things were happening both slowly and way too fast.
She tried to make a joke, even though her throat was as dry as the Sahara. “So, you got a toothbrush after all?”
He grinned, looking for a brief moment remarkably like the boy she’d crushed on in high school. “Condoms, Frannie. And yes, a toothbrush.”
“Oh.” She knew she was blushing. She could feel the hot color sweep from her neck to her hairline. Zachary must think she was the most unsophisticated, naive woman he’d ever been with in a romantic way. It wasn’t true. Frannie had traveled the world. She could order a meal in four languages. Rarely did any situation intimidate her.
This was different. This was Zach.
When they reached her floor and got out, she fumbled in her purse for her key card, then opened the door. Her room had a king bed and all the usual amenities. “Make yourself at home,” she said.
Before Zachary could do more than nod, she grabbed a few things out of her suitcase and locked herself in the bathroom. Flannel sleep pants weren’t going to cut it tonight. Luckily, she had packed her favorite robe. It was black silk embroidered with tiny red dragons. She had picked it up in Chinatown during a job that took her to San Francisco.<
br />
Since she had showered before going to work, she only needed to freshen up and add a spritz of her favorite perfume. After undressing and brushing her hair, she folded her clothes neatly and made a pile on the counter. When she glanced in the mirror, she liked what she saw. The black robe was sensual and flattering. But the woman’s eyes held a wealth of wariness. There was no going back from here.
She had no idea what to expect when she returned to the bedroom. Surely Zach would want a turn in the bathroom. But he surprised her once again.
The man in question was propped up in her bed against the headboard, and he appeared to be completely naked. She couldn’t know for sure, because the sheet covered him from the waist down. All the lights were out, save for the lamp beside him.
His rakish smile was like a physical touch. Her nipples budded tightly, painfully. She toyed with the knot in her sash. “I guess you’re ready.”
Zach nodded slowly. “If you are. Come here, Frannie. Let me warm you up.”
* * *
Zach knew there was something different about this woman. This night. The difference perturbed him, because it signified that the encounter was something more than giving in to sexual attraction. He shoved the knowledge away, refusing to spoil the moment.
His Frannie looked amazing. Stunning. In the black robe with her black hair and creamy pale skin, she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
Without warning, guilt flooded him. Quin was right. Frannie was different. Zachary probably shouldn’t be here. But he was a selfish bastard, and he wanted her too damn much to walk away.
She came to the bed and stood opposite him. There was a lot of real estate keeping them apart. He patted the mattress. “Join me, Frannie. I don’t bite.”
“I have a feeling that’s not true.”
Her sexy little joke made him smile. “I forget how well you know me.” When it seemed as if she would stand beside the bed forever, he flipped back all the covers, revealing his naked body. He was aroused. In fact, he’d had a hard-on since they left her office. “See anything you like?”
Secrets of a Playboy Page 10